Daily Times

Sir: It has been reported that the Capital Development Authority of Islamabad has decided to review and amend the master plan of Islamabad. While CDA had made its intent to revise the plan public a few years ago, it has had trouble finding the right people for the job. However, one hopes that CDA does not make any more mistakes as far as ‘development’ of Islamabad is concerned. Already, thanks to the myriad infrastructure projects underway, the beauty of the city has been lost. Most of the forest cover has been destroyed, and now the city is extremely dusty and polluted. Further, there have been credible reports in the media that many of the largest projects underway have not even bothered to have their environmental impact assessment approved by the EPA!

While Islamabad definitely needs room to expand and improved infrastructure, these should not be done at the expense of the very factors that prompt people to live there. Industrial zones should be located as far away from residential zones as possible, and instead of laying even more roads in the city, perhaps the revised master plan should include mass transit systems like subway lines or monorails. These public transit systems have been placed in many crowded and expanding cities with positive results. These kind of projects also end up paying for themselves in the long run, and improve the environment by reducing the amount of cars on the roads.
SOHAIL MUGHAL
Islamabad